I’ve just “completed” Hellfire Peninsula. Kind of. I intend to go and do a couple more quests for the quest rewards still. I say “completed” because you’ll see my 60’s have now all dinged 62. And that coincided, pretty much, with wrapping up the quests in Hellfire Peninsula.

How “solo friendly” was reaching level 62? Very. I accomplished the quests with a Night Elf Hunter, which is solo+, a Shaman, and then teamed up my Warrior with my wife’s Shaman. Carefully played a great many quests can be done alone. Which is a boon to the casual player. My Hunter did the PvP quest there, because being Alliance on an Alliance dominated server that’s too easy. Neither Horde character bothered. And none of my characters ventured into the Hellfire Citadel because I’m guildless with my Hunter, and my Horde guildies are all 70 now, and the quest reward didn’t seem compelling.

I’d like to commend the Maghar Orcs, in conjunction with Thrall’s embassy to them, for offering Paladin Plate as a quest reward. Kudos to the Orcs. Now where are all the Orc Paladins? See, I’m an Orc Warrior…

Speaking of which, gear.

Armor. I’m still wearing my rare PvP set (the blues). I’ve gotten, as quest rewards, a helm (from Foreman Razelcraz who runs the mine under Thrallmar), gauntlets from the Blood Elves at Falcon Watch, chest and/or leggings from Thrallmar, and … that’s it. Some drops, including a blue plate helm with +49 stamina, and a killer blue set of cloth pants for casting, but they are going towards the “Epic Mounts for Msaker and Droonda fund.” The quest reward armor gear did not replace my Warrior’s pvp gear.

Different story, slightly, for my Shaman. Armorwise,he still has the best synergy with a lot of Earthfury, and so he was taking the “melee” mail gear when he had a choice. But still, shoulders out of Blackwing Lair, he picked up a Bonechewer mail chest to replace the Bloodstained Hauberk from ZG and otherwise it’s been slim pickings. My Night Elf hunter replaced nothing, keeping his mostly BG gear (rares + the shiny epic shoulders) and picking up a helmet I believe.

Weaponry. My Hunter got a nice crossbow as a quest reward. And an axe that replaced my Ice Barbed Spear, and also a quest reward. My Orc Warrior picked up a nice Outland obtained two-hander axe in the Auction House, got a Demon Slaying enchant on it, and had not gotten a replacement for it yet. No weapon drops to speak of, and the one-hander “tanking” weapons, quest rewards, are lacking in … buzz. My Shaman could have picked up a lot of nice staves, except he already had the Staff of Dominance (Molten Core) with a +55 Healing enchant on it. He sold all the staves for cash. He had a blue axe gotten as a drop off some Baron in Silithus, and he added to that a nice, fast, pick axe from Foreman Razelcraz. Both axes have +AP on them so nice for the dual wiedling Shaman.

There have otherwise been nice cloak rewards, for melee and caster, some nice neck pieces, and some nice rings. The last was Corrinda’s Wedding Ring, a quest which winds up finding you flagged for PvP on the road to Zangarmarsh. This ring provides some decent +Healing, and some good stats. The stats are better than my old Seal of the Archmagus, and he almost sold the seal, but the seal adds a lot of resistances and +mana regen so he held on to it. (But it’s probably time for me to bank the Seal of Ascension for future UBRS (where???) runs.)

How were the quests here in Hellfire? Great. The Unyielding one was interesting. Messing with the folks in Zeth’gor was fun. Hell, following one of Razelcraz’s dogs around was … stanky. I found some Voidwalkers easy (the Warp Fields) and others a real pain (Void Ridge, where they hit real hard, and fear). The aerial bombing runs, both Alliance and Horde were fun, and I’m really looking forward to flying mounts and/or flight form to enjoy that feeling some more. And the Ruins of Sha’Naar quests with the Broken. I liked that one.

Bottom line: For my Warrior, he comes out of Hellfire Peninsula with two more levels. For my Shaman, he’s really added to his attack power and has improved both his fighting, and healing gear. My Hunter got a nice crossbow, and a new pet. And, of course, everyone had a blast. (Don’t let Droonda’s comments about Msaker’s vocal frustration about the endless adds we got fighting Fel Orcs trying to free some goblins let you think otherwise.) Next stop: Zangarmarsh!

P.S. The former header graphic (seen here). Arcarius was getting ready to take some R&R at the inn at the Temple of Telhamat. He noticed a wall painting which appeared to be a sunset over an Azeroth coastline. And he got to thinking about how much he missed the comfortable and familiar surroundings of home. That sun had set on an ocean. Open waters. There was not all this endless red dust all over the place, and we weren’t on a broken collection of rocks hanging in space. And what business does a Night Elf have in the Outlands anyway?! He dreams of green. Emerald green and forests in the night. But this is where he’s wound up. Hellfire. But it was a quiet, cozy, corner he found there in the inn. A hookah smoking away on the nearby table, new habits to enjoy, a big couch with big pillows, this march has been a long one, memories of home around him, and his new pet, a Ravager named Outlandish, providing the bond Hunters learn to live with, die without. This would be a good rest before moving on, further into the Outlands.

P.P.S. When you think you’re resting in an Inn, at least in Hellfire, make sure you see the Zzzz’s before you log out. At the inn at the Temple of Telhamat I noticed that even though I was inside the inn, I did not see Zzzz’s until I stood on the carpet. If you’re after rested xp that’s something you’ll want to pay attention to.